ZACK WITTMAN | for the Daily News The "Xavier" haunted house is seen in the rain on Saturday night in Saginaw. The House is located in the former Ensminger Store in Saginaw, and costs $10 per person to enter.

ZACK WITTMAN | for the Daily News The "Xavier" haunted house is seen in the rain on Saturday night in Saginaw. The House is located in the former Ensminger Store in Saginaw, and costs $10 per person to enter.

Photo: Zack Wittman

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ZACK WITTMAN | for the Daily News Lee Gasta, 26, of Saginaw, uses his phone while waiting for the first customers at the "Xavier " haunted house on Saturday night in Saginaw.

ZACK WITTMAN | for the Daily News Lee Gasta, 26, of Saginaw, uses his phone while waiting for the first customers at the "Xavier " haunted house on Saturday night in Saginaw.

Photo: Zack Wittman

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ZACK WITTMAN | for the Daily News Chris Sullivan, left, of Saginaw, and Amanda Firmingham, right, of Saginaw, prepare their costumes in preparation for the second night of operation at "Xavier" haunted house on Saturday night in Saginaw. less

ZACK WITTMAN | for the Daily News Chris Sullivan, left, of Saginaw, and Amanda Firmingham, right, of Saginaw, prepare their costumes in preparation for the second night of operation at "Xavier" haunted house on ... more

Photo: Zack Wittman

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ZACK WITTMAN | for the Daily News Lee Gasta, 26, of Saginaw, gets help putting on his costume, with a headpiece made from aluminum and PVC pipe, at the "Xavier " haunted house on Saturday night in Saginaw. "My character is called The Jackal," says Gasta, "All the metal is aluminum so it's not heavy at all. But it still feels pretty good to take it off afterwards." less

ZACK WITTMAN | for the Daily News Lee Gasta, 26, of Saginaw, gets help putting on his costume, with a headpiece made from aluminum and PVC pipe, at the "Xavier " haunted house on Saturday night in Saginaw. "My ... more

Photo: Zack Wittman

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ZACK WITTMAN | for the Daily News Lee Gasta, 26, of Saginaw, walks through the "Xavier " haunted house on Saturday night in Saginaw.

ZACK WITTMAN | for the Daily News Lee Gasta, 26, of Saginaw, walks through the "Xavier " haunted house on Saturday night in Saginaw.

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Xavier haunt provides big scares, terrifying sets

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“If you don’t go away scared, we didn’t do our job,” said Pat Hozeska, owner of the Xavier Haunt as he handed an electric screwdriver to one of his crew members. The power tool wasn’t one of the props, but chain saws and other spinning, sharp things could be heard keying up all over the attraction. It was opening night for Xavier, with a good, first year run already under their belt.

And the ghouls were getting restless.

“Everyone is ready to go tonight,” Hozeska said with a smile.

The haunt, located at 121 Hamilton St. in Saginaw, saw a successful run when they opened last year, and with the crowd assembling on the sidewalk for opening night, this season looks like another good one for the crew at Xavier.

Hozeska said he lengthened the attraction, adding twists and turns to prolong the scares. And with the numerous, life-like props that jump, shake and spit, even the most hardened haunt fan will be kept on their toes.

Oh, if clowns give you the creeps, just drive on past.

Amid the scares and dread of being chased or pounced upon, is the beauty of the scenes. Props are first rate and high end, and when a person is not being terrified within an inch of their life, it is tempting to stop for a moment and look at the surroundings and the detail that went in to their construction.

“We worked really hard at this,” Hozeska said. He added that he and wife Ana travel to haunted house trade shows looking for the latest and most terrifying props.

The many full-sized prop bodies, strewn about the haunt, will make most people look twice. But be careful - the creature propped up in the corner may just be flesh and blood.

“You don’t know if you are looking at a prop or a person,” Hozeska said. “And that’s on purpose.”

The team began construction for this season in early August, and Hozeska said he has been working day and night between his two businesses, Complete Auto and Complete Limo, both of Saginaw, and readying the haunt. He said he couldn’t have made it this far with the help of his family and friends.

“We are a really close family,” said Priscilla Malacara, Hozeska’s daughter. “We all get along really well and that helps us work together.”

The idea of creating a haunted house started years ago for the family when they began decorating their home for the holiday. Decorations continued to grow more elaborate each year until they opened their home as an attraction. The haunt proved so popular and successful that guests began telling the family they needed to start their own, full scale haunt.

“Instead of us passing out candy, people were dropping their candy in our yard when they ran away,” Ana said, smiling.

Malacara said her father would take the kids and their friends on trips to area haunts, and ideas for a family haunt continued to grow from there.

“This is something we talked about for a long time,” she said.

Malacara said the haunt attracted around 2,800 guests last year, and she hopes to see the same numbers this year.

“Alot of our guests said they would be back this year,” she said.

So what does the owner of a successful haunt do to keep things fresh?

“We added 500 feet (to the haunt) this year,” Hozeska said. Without spoiling the fun, Hozeska said he added many more scares, and added more time spent inside the haunt for guests.

“It takes between 15 to 20 minutes to go through.” He said this year will see around 28 scenes, staffed with 18 to 20 actors and behind the scenes people doling out the scares.

Hozeska said one thing he has seen in countless haunted houses will not happen in his haunt: one group running in to the one who went before them.

“A lot of times, when you go to a haunt, it ends up being a conga line,” he said. He explained that if groups are too large or too close together, the scares get wasted. Smaller groups with good spacing, he said, is one of the signs of a good haunt with good management.

“We limit groups to five people,” he said. “That keeps good pacing for the scares.”

Hozeska stressed that props can make up a big part of any haunt, but it is the actors that make the nightmares come to life. He said one of the guidelines given to actors is to make the scenes their own - they are encouraged to create their own costumes or stunts within their scenes, and the creative freedom can bring out a side of a person that lurks just behind the shadows.

“My daughter Lexi is usually quiet, but last year (when in costume) she had three teenage boys pinned in the corner, screaming,” the proud father said with a devilish grin. “You wouldn’t know it looking at her.”

Lexi smiled innocently.

“It is a lot of fun to scare people,” she said. “And my friends think it is pretty cool that I work at a haunt.”

Actress Linda Cox of Freeland said she has always wanted to work at a haunt, and this year Xavier gave her the chance.

“I am crazy for Halloween,” she said. “It is my favorite holiday.”

Cox would be spending her night working in a scene deep within Xavier. Sworn to secrecy, all she would say is it involved plenty of horribly fun experiences.

“Oh, it will scare you. We call it the pig room,” she said, chuckling as she pulled on her costume.

Danny Anderson of Bay City brought his two sons and a nephew along to try the haunt. It was the first haunted experience for everyone in the group.

When asked how he liked the experience, he pointed to his brow.

“Do you see the sweat on my face?” Anderson asked. “It was crazy in there. But it was fun. I am going to tell my friends.”

When the layers of scares and elaborate props are pulled back, at its core, Xavier is a family run business staffed with people who love what they do.

“We put our heart and soul in to this,” Hozeska said with a smile, looking around his creation. “And we love it.”

Xavier is open from 7 p.m to 1 a.m. Oct. 10-11, 16-19, and Oct. 23 through Nov. 1.